Shloka 4

Matsya Purana — Yayāti’s Forest-Renunciation

Devanagari script

विवशः प्रच्युतः स्वर्गाद् अप्राप्तो मेदिनीतलम् स्थितश्चासीद् अन्तरिक्षे स तदेति श्रुतं मया //

Transliteration

vivaśaḥ pracyutaḥ svargād aprāpto medinītalam sthitaścāsīd antarikṣe sa tadeti śrutaṃ mayā //

Translation

Helpless, he fell from heaven; not yet reaching the surface of the earth, he remained suspended in the mid-space. So it has been heard by me—that he then went on in that condition.

Word by Word

• vivaśaḥ: helpless, powerless

• pracyutaḥ: fallen down, slipped away

• svargāt: from heaven

• aprāptaḥ: not having reached

• medinī-talam: the earth’s surface/ground

• sthitaḥ ca āsīt: and he remained/stood

• antarikṣe: in the intermediate region/sky

• saḥ: he

• tat: that (state/condition)

• eti: goes, proceeds, comes to

• śrutam mayā: heard by me/traditionally heard

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) or the primary storyteller recounting a heard tradition (śrutaṃ mayā), within the Matsya Purana’s Pralaya-linked discourse

Tags

• Pralaya
• Cosmology
• Heaven and Earth
• Karma and Fall
• Antariksha

FAQs

What does this verse reveal about the creation or dissolution (Pralaya)?

It highlights the Purāṇic three-tier cosmos (svarga–antarikṣa–pṛthvī) and the transitional ‘mid-space’ state, a cosmological framing often used in Pralaya-linked narration even when the specific act of dissolution is not described here.

How does this verse relate to the duties of a King or Householder?

By implying that heavenly status is impermanent and dependent on merit, it supports the Matsya Purana’s ethical thrust: rulers and householders should prioritize dharma and lasting virtue over temporary heavenly rewards.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated; the takeaway is cosmological—antarikṣa as an intermediate realm—sometimes referenced in ritual world-mapping (lokas/regions) rather than in temple-building rules.